CFHS code : ED92
Parish : St Edward
Inscription : In Memory of JOHN [DEER] PLEDGER d March [—-] age 63 also MARY his wife d Feb 12 186[4] age 71 also MARY their daughter d April 10 1859 age 51 also ALFRED their grandson d April 18 [1850] age 6
Monument : Headstone
Above information amended from Cambridge Family History Society Survey
Lat Lon : 52.203176, 0.13688386 –click here for location
Monument
This is one of 3 stones, in the parish area of St Edward’s, that mark the graves of the Pledger, Miller, Willimot (Willmot) and Martin families. They are all marked in the grave register as being in succeeding rows starting 7 rows east from the west path in positions 1, 2, 3 or 4 along the row from the south border of the parish.
This gothic styled headstone for the Pledger family is in row 7. The carved inscription is very eroded and difficult to read. Alfred is actually buried 3 plots to the south along with Mark Miller. Their grave is not marked.
Inscription
In Memory of JOHN DEER PLEDGER Who died March [19 1853] age 63 years
Also MARY his wife died Feb 12 1864 age 74
Also MARY daughter of the above died April 10 1859 age 51 years
Also ALFRED their grandson died April 18 1850 age 6 years
Relationships Parents John & Mary, their daughter Mary and their grandson ( son of their son Thomas)
John Deer Pledger (c 1790 – 19 March 1853)
John was the son of Thomas and Margaret Pledger. He was born in Stansfield in Suffolk, a village about seven miles south west of Bury St Edmunds and baptised there on 13th May 1790.
He married Mary Ling and they had at least 12 children: Martha Mary [1808-1859], Elenor [1809-1878], George (1811), Thomas [1815-1902], Arthur (1816), Caroline (1819), Emma [1821-1875], Jane [1823-1897] Louisa (1825-1875), Ann [1828-], William [1831-] and Frederick [1832-1912]
7 of the children were baptised in St Edward’s church on September 8th 1830. when the family were living in Hand Yard, Cambridge. Frederick was baptised in 1832
The family lived on Free School Lane [1835] and John worked as a banker. He was a partner in the bank of John Mortlock & Co – with fellow directors Thomas Mortlock and John Eaton. By 1851 They were living on the High Street in Ely with their children Elenor and William. John died in Ely, and was buried on 25th March at Holy Trinity Church in Ely. His death at the time was described as being sudden and that he was ‘highly esteemed by all who knew him’. After his death his son George seems to have joined the bank in Ely but died in 1858. The announcement in the paper commenting that he had left 5 orphans.
Mary Pledger (1790 – 12 February 1864)
Mary was born in Stoke by Clare in Suffolk and was baptised there on 26th February 1790. She was the daughter of John and Elenor Wade Ling.
After being widowed she returned to live in Cambridge and was living at 5 Free School Lane in 1861. On the census of that year she was living with son Frederick and daughter-in-law Augusta. Frederick was a bank clerk. Mary died at Free School Lane and her funeral was held on 17 February.
Martha Mary (Mary) Pledger (1808 – 10 April 1859)
When her parents were in Ely Mary remained at the family home in Free School Lane. with 2 family servants. Her brother George, a bank clerk, occupied the house next door with his wife Mary and a young family. Mary died at 5 Free School Lane aged 51 years old and her funeral was held on 13 April.
Alfred Pledger (1843 – April 1850)
Alfred was the son of, journeyman carpenter, Thomas and college servant Eliza (née King) Pledger. He died aged 6 years old and was buried at Mill Road Cemetery on 26 April. According to the grave register he is buried in an unmarked grave along with Mark Martin just to the south of this monument.
His parents lived on Castle St and have a headstone in the Ascension Burial Ground.
Sources:
Ancestry
Newspaper archives
Parish records transcribed by CFHS
Parish grave Register transcribed by CFHS
Find My past
by Claire Martinsen and Mary Naylor
[If you have any further information about this family, please contact us at Friendsofmillroadcemetery@gmail.com]